Axle.



H. w. ALBEN lMILE. APPLICATION FILED- MAR. 31., 1910 Patented Augi2'5, 1914.

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H. w ALBEN. AXLE.

. APPLIGATION FILED MABL31,191o. 1,.108,1 1 Patented Aug. 2,5, .1914.

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@Ziff HERBERT W. ALDEN, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

AXLE COMPANY, OF DETROIT,

ASSIGNOR TO THE TIMKEN DETROIT MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

AXLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

Application filed March 31, 1910. Serial No. 552.547.

To all teli/)vm [t may concern.'

Be it known that l, HERBERT lV. AXLDEN. a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, have invented a. new and useful Improvement in Axles, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to tubular axles for motor vehicles and the like, and more particularly to pressed steel axles.

It has for its principal. objects to minimize weight Without sacrificing strength and durability, to locate the line of weld in the horizontal plane through the neutral axis of the axle ivheie the strain is at a minimum7 to minimize the number of separate operations in machining, and to attain certain other advantages hereinafter more fully-appeariiig.

The invention consists in the parts aiidin the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the main or body portion of a tubular axle according to my invention; Fig.- Q is a top plan view.; Fig. 3 .is a fragmentary view showing an vaxle having a separate spindle member on its end; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4- 4 of Fig. 3, showing a portion of a brake spider arranged on the inner end of the spindle; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section showing an axle 'whose end portion is drawn down to provide the spindle; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the two halves of tie axle casing before being joined together; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the bottom half of the axlegFig. 8 is a trans verse section onthe line 8 8 of Fig. 6; and Fig. 9 is a transverse section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 6.

The axle tube or easing l comprises counterpart upper and lower half-sections l, 1b, respectively, which are stamped from sheet metal. They are initially vformed as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and then welded together to constitute an integral structure *asshown in Fig. l. The middle portions of the tw axle sections arearched or bowed apart as at A and are channel-shaped in cross section;-

and the outer portions are drawn or tapered down to substantially semi-circular formv or half-tubes. The meeting edges of the outer tially horizontal plane which passes through or adjacent to the neutral axis of the axle.

These meetingedge portions of the axle sec-V tions are welded together, thereby constituting a tubular axle having an enlarged central portion which is open at front and back so as to receive the usual differential gearing which is provided en driving axles. The middle portion of the axle is substantially rectangular in transverse vertical section and the portions adj a'ceiit to its ends are substantially cylindrical, while the portions intermediate the middle and end portions are tapered oi conical.

In the above described construction, it is noted that the 'lines of the welds extend from the ends ofthe axle ,only to the edges of the middle vfront and rear openings and in a :plane where the strain is at a minimum; ywhereas, if the axle sections-were initially ,divided vertically into front andv back halves, the lines of the welds would be at the top and bottom of the axle where the strain is at a maximum. The present construction also permit-s the use of a thin sheet of metal and, further, permits the use of a narrow strip from which to nia-ke the stamping. Hence, iii addition to being of light weight, there is little waste of material.

On 4the end of the axle tube l, is preferably sleeved a tubular spindle extension 2. his tubular spindle extension 2 is also, preferably, asteel stamping and itis preferably l'sleeved externally on the end of the tube l so that only one surface of the tube, namely, the outside, need be machined. The reason for this construction is that y the wall thickness of the spindle end ofa tubular axle must be greater at the reduced diameter inside of the wheel hub than the wall thickness of the enlarged portion immediatelyT back of the wheel need be. Furthermore, it is necessary to machine the spindle part of the axlein order to get a good seat for thev wheel bearings and this reducesthe wall thickness. Consequently, if the stampings weredrawn down to make a spindle integral with the body of the axle, it would be necessary, in order to secure sufficient strength for the spindle, to use sheet steel for the whole axle considerably thicker than would be necessary to give the strength required elsewhere. In order, therefore, to use steel of the minimum thickness for the main part lOO Q y 1,108,114c

of' the axle it is desirable to put on a separate spindle piece substantially as showin.

. The material of the spindle sleeve 2 is, therefore, in practice, considerably thicker than that of the main tube l. In some cases, however, it may'be desirable to draw the end portion of the axle to a reduced diameter to provide the spindle as shown in Fig. 5.

The enlarged inner end portion 3 of the spindle sleeve 2 is machined on its inner side to snugly lit over the machined outer sur face, of theend portion of the tube l; and the outer face of this enlarged portion 3 fof the spindle sleeve is preferably machined to receive the hub portion 4 of a brake spider The sleeve portion 3, hub portion 4 and tube 1 are preferably secured together by rivets G or in any other suitable manner whereby a rigid connection may be effected.

The spindle portion proper 7 ofthe tubular extension 2 is drawn down to a reduced diameter and its outer surface is machined to receive the inner bearing sleeves or rings, not shown, of the antifriction bearings for the Wheel hub. The outer end portion of the spindle 7 may be externally screw-v threaded to receive adjusting and locking nuts for the Wheel bearings.

While the two sections or 'halves of the aXle have been herein generally described as being Welded together, it is noted that the term welded is intended to include brazing and soldering also.

Gbviously, the device admits of c0nsiderable modification Without departing from my invention. Therefore, l do not Wish to be limited to the specific construction and arrangement shown.

What I'elaim is:

l. A pressed steel tubular axle comprising duplicate channeled top and bottom halfsections Whose middle portions are bowed apart in a vertical plane, and the meeting edge portions of said top and bottom halfsections being welded together along lines substantially in a horizontal plane or the neutral axis of the axle and extending from the bowed middle portion t0 the ends of said half-sections.v

Q. A pressed steel tubularaxle comprising channeled top' and bottom half-sections Whose. middle portions l'are substantially right angular in cross section and bowed apart in a vertical plane, and the outer portions of said half-sections on each side of the middle portions thereof being substantially semi-circular in cross section and the meetiner edoes 'thereof bein@ Welded to- C C D gether on lines adjacent to ahorizontal plane or the neutral axis of the axle.

3. A tubular axle comprising a pressed steel main member, and a tubulail spindle member having its inner end portion sleeved over the etid portion of said main member and having its outer portion drawn to a reduced diameter and arranged externally to receive the bearings of the wheel hub, and a brake spider sleeved on the inner end portion of said spindle member.

Signed at Detroit, Michigan this 19th day of March, 1910.

HERBERT lV. ALBEN.

W'itnesses:

GEO. L. BEADELL, C. C. MILLER. 

